Airplane kite



Patented Nov. 15, 1938 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE AIRPLANE KIITE, Dominic L. Waldock, Highland Park, Mich. Application August 12, 1937, SerialNo. 158,700;

Claims. (01. 244-154) V This invention relates to improvements in airplane kitesl It is an object of the invention to provide an airplane kite for use as a childs toy, which will remain substantially horizontal in the air, when there is sufficient wind to support it, even if it is being pulled downward by a string attached to it.

Another object of the invention is to provide an airplane kite wherein a special wing structure is provided which is both cheap and relatively simple to manufacture, and which retains the kite in a horizontal position in the air.-

A further object of theinvention is to provide such an airplane kite wherein the wing structure,

1 the body, the horizontal member and the tail pieces may bepacked separately in a box and the kite assembled by any child of ordinary intelligence. I A

Having thus briefly stated some of the major objects and advantagesof the invention I will now proceed to describe an embodiment thereof with the aid of theaccompanying drawing, in which: a

Figure 1 illustrates a side View of the invention.

Figure 2 is a front viewthereof taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view.

Figure 4 is an enlarged section on the line 44 of Figure 1, and

Figure 5 is a section on the line 55 of Figure 4.

Referring to the drawing, I designates a body portion, preferably formed of thin wood arranged vertically, having a horizontal lower margin, and a downwardly and rearwardly inclined upper margin. Secured to the lower margin of the body I, preferably by adhesive, and projecting rearwardly therefrom, is a horizontal member 2 the rear extremity of which is split vertically at 2a to receive the upper extremity of a depending tail piece 3. 4 denotes a suitable tie, formed of string or other preferred material, holding the split portions 2a together to cause them to frictionally engage the said tail piece 3. The upper tail portion 5, which is horizontally disposed, rests intermediately of its width upon the member 2 above the tail piece 3, and is secured in place by suitable adhesive.

In order to render the joint between the body I and the member 2 more secure I usually employ a plurality of pieces of flexible material 6 coated with adhesive. These, when in position, are substantially U-shaped, their extremities being attached to opposite sides of the body I, and their central portions being folded beneath the member 2. The front extremity of the member .2 is preferably substantially semi-circular in elevation, and extending forwardly therefrom is a spindle 1 upon which a propeller 8 is mounted for rotation. I V

The wing structure II] is so designed that-it will 5 support my airplane kite in a horizontal position in the air so long as there is sufficient Wind even when the kite is being pulled to the ground by a string 9 suitably attached to the body I. The wing structure is made as follows II designates 10 an annular frame which rests substantially horizontally and is usuallyrnade of wire; formed therein intermediately of its width are two front loops I2 and two rear loops I3. From Figure 2 it will be clearly seen that both sides of the frame extend outwardly and upwardly from the center which rests upon the body I. The two front loops I2 and the two rear loops I3 are arranged equidistant from the longitudinal center of the frame II. U-shaped clips I4 and I5 support the underside of the body I and their sides extend upwardly adjacent the sides of the said body. The ends of the clip I4 each engage one of the loops I2 and the ends of the clip are secured to the loops I3. Thejoints between the ends of the clips and the loops are preferably made with solder after passing the former through the latter. The body I is suitably held relative to the clips as shown in Figure 5 wherein a ring I6 passes through the body I and encircles both sides of the clip I I intermediately of its height.

H designates a vertically disposed annular reinforcement which extends the full width of the wing structure substantially across its transverse center line. The upper portion of the annular reinforcement I I lies in Figure 2 in the same plane as the frame II except for a short distance across the longitudinal center line of the structure where the reinforcement extends above the frame I I. From both the lateral extremities of the upper portions of the reinforcement the latter is downwardly flexed as shown at IIa in Figure 2. Formed integral with the lower portion IIa are loops I8 to engage opposite extremities of a clip I9 which passes around the body I between the loops I2 and I3.

, Extending from the front to the rear of the frame II and parallel with the body I are a plurality of annular bows 20 having their upper sides flat and soldered or otherwise secured to the front and rear of the frame II at their front and rear extremities. Intermediately of their length the upper sides of these bows pass immediately beeath and are soldered or otherwise secured to the upper side of the transverse reinforcement H. The lower portions 20a. of the bows are downwardly flexed towards their centers where It will be noted from the curvature of the lower side Ila of the reinforcement and also of the lower sides of the bows 20 thata pocket 24 ofoutwardly increasing depth is formed on each side of the wing structure.- The pockets thus formed provide support for my airplane kit and insure it remaining horizontal under practically all'conditions so long as there is sufficient breeze to support it in the air..

While in the foregoing the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described and shown, it isunderstood that the construction is susceptible to such alterations and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is: I

1. In an airplane kite, a body adapted to have a string secured thereto, a member projecting rearwardly therefrom, a tail carried by said member, and a wing structure comprising an annular frame secured substantially horizontally to. said body and projecting laterally on both sides thereof, a vertically disposed annular reinforcement supported by both lateral extremities of said frame and having its lower side projecting beneath the latter, annular bows each secured to the front and rear ofsaid frame, the upper portion of each bow lying in horizontal alignment with the frame to brace the-latter and the lower portion of each bow extending downwardly and inwardly and being connected to the lower side 'of said reinforcement, and a covering the periphery of which is secured to the. annular frame and bearing intermediately against the underside of, said bows and said reinforcement.

2. In an airplane kite, the combination set forth in claim 1, wherein spacers extend between the upper and lower portions of the bows in alignment with the upper and lower sides of the reinforcement to strengthen both the bows and the reinforcement.

3. In an airplane kite, a body adapted to have a string attached thereto, said body consisting of a thin vertically disposed element, a member projecting rearwardly from the body, a tail supported by said member, a wing structure resting on said body,.said structure including a substantially horizontally disposed annular wire frame around its periphery, and U-clips extending beneaththe body and upwardly adjacent both sides thereof, the ends of the clips being secured to said frame.

4, In an" airplane kite, a body, a member projecting rearwardly therefrom, a tail carried by said member, and a wing structure comprising an annular frame, means securing said frame on said body, a reinforcement secured to said frame, and a flexible covering having its periphery secured to the frame and bearing against the underside of the reinforcement, the latter being shaped whereby the upper side of the covering is held concave in section longitudinally of the body and the depth of the concavity decreases from the lateral extremities of the wing structure towards the body, said wing structure extending a substantially equal distance on both sides of said body.

5, In an airplane kite, a body adapted to have a string attached thereto,- a member projecting rearwardly from the body,- a tail carried bysaid member, and a wing structure which projects laterally on both sides of said body and is secured thereon, said wing structure being concave in section longitudinally of the kite on its upper side adjacent both lateral extremities of said structure, the depthof said concavities diminishing towards the longitudinal center line of the kite.

DOMINIC L. WALDOCK. 

